Come home, family!

In a few short hours, my week long staycation will come to an end. Around 6:00pm today my family will return to me. Am I ready? I think so. Well, okay, probably not. I should vacuum. And unload the dishwasher. And go grocery shopping. And take out the trash. And ... here we go ... the familiar stresses of being responsible for a household have already arrived! [sigh] So ... early.

But, emotionally, I am more than ready. I cannot wait to take them all into my arms - oh, how I have missed these pieces of me! I think the little one will still let me smother her face in kisses. And the older one may even indulge me this expression, just for today. For sure, the husband will welcome it (and more)! I can't wait.

It's been an interesting week for me. This is the longest length of time I have spent alone, in my own house, for years. Since I have been a mother. Since I have been married, even. Years. As a person whose disposition requires a healthy degree of solitude, in this respect, the week was a welcome respite. Which is not to say that I wouldn't have rather been with my people enjoying the New Mexico adventure. Of course I would have. I missed so much. But it couldn't be helped and I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy my time. It's just one of those peculiar pain/pleasure kind of things.

The week turned out to be a time of decompression. And I think, ideally, decompression is a slow process. It takes time. Of course I originally had lofty goals for the week. Just think about how many things you could accomplish if you had your house to yourself for a week! Just imagine! It's dizzying, isn't it? But in the end, I succumbed to the lull of the quiet and allowed myself to be rested. And I am okay with that.

(Just to be clear, I didn't do NOTHING. I accomplished a few things. Things I never would have accomplished with the time constraints of my normal daily life. I am satisfied with this. It is enough.)

But now I need my people.

So, am I ready to face the insanity of that is heading down I-10 toward this house? The unpacking, the laundry, the feeding, the bathing, dishes, the clutter, the activities, the back-to-school shopping, the grocery shopping? No way.

But, to quote my best friend, an eloquent man, to be sure, "Bring'eth it on'eth!"